A Brave Opinion
by TheAuthor1996
Summary: As the OUAT team travel to Camelot. Their only hope of gaining entrance to the kingdom lies with Princess Merida who is also travelling there for a royal tournament. During the journey Merida has a heart to heart with Rumple about her opinion of his bravery. Can she prove to him that he doesn't need to be the dark one in order to be brave? - One Shot


**A Brave Opinion**

Whilst everyone rested, gathering their energy to reach Camelot tomorrow. A recently curse deprived Rumplestiltskin sat in silence next to the extinguished camp fire and he sighed sadly and looked around at the shadowy surroundings and felt very uneasy. Ever since his curse had been broken he had become what he feared most…. A coward. The word rang in his mind and made him close his eyes in defeat.

He was startled when he heard footsteps behind him and turned quickly only to find that it was only Princess Merida and she smiled,

"I thought ye could use some company on night watch" she explained as she sat next to him and placed her bow and arrows down beside her and Rumple simply nodded gratefully,

"Thank you your highness" he said politely and Merida couldn't help but giggle,

"Oh lord don't be using any formalities with me Rumpy. I detest them" she said amused and Rumple seemed tense as he remained silent which Merida instantly noticed and she looked at him with a gentle expression,

"You know….. When I was but a wee lass my father used to tell me tales of the dark one." She explained and smiled to herself,

"The man who could turn straw into gold with the simple touch of his hand" she continued with a soft tone and Rumple sighed sadly and couldn't bring himself to look at the red haired lass,

"I'm afraid that man is long gone Princess" he said sadly and Merida pouted to herself as she thought for a moment,

"That may be… But whether I choose to believe it is another matter" she said before retrieving her bow and knife and proceeded to carve patterns into the handle and Rumple finally looked at her,

"What do you mean?... Believe it Princess because that man you were told of is long dead!" he said with frustration but then his tone turned sad,

"I'm….. I'm nothing but a coward" he said more to himself than Merida who blew some dust of the carving before continuing,

"That's not the story my father told me" she said simply and Rumple looked at her confused as she continued,

"My father told me of a spinner who went to every length to protect his son. He told me of a man who faced the darkness head on just so his only child could be safe" she said before looking at him and Rumple sighed,

"I doubt he told you of how that man first became a coward" he said sadly but Merida simply smiled,

"You mean when he was to be a soldier in the ogre wars but was told by a seer that his wife was with child so he injured himself so that he could be there to watch his child grow up" she pointed out and Rumple looked at her shocked before becoming slightly angry. Not at her but at himself,

"What I did that day was cowardice!" he said with a firm expression but Merida's expression didn't chance, nor did her tone,

"You say that and yet ye knew the consequences….. You knew that you would be named a coward but you knew in your heart that your son needed a father" she said and Rumple looked away from her as she continued,

"You did everything just so your son could have a father to raise him…. And in all honesty Mr Stiltskin…. I think that's the bravest thing I've ever heard anyone do" she said gently and Rumple laughed humourlessly to himself,

"Me?... Brave? I think you're thinking of someone else dearie" he said but Merida smiled,

"If you're referring to myself Rumpy then I'm afraid you'd be wrong….. The things I've done just so that I could avoid a fate I didn't agree with were selfish… I used magic for the wrong reasons. I nearly caused a war between four kingdoms and I nearly lost my mother" she said sadly as she remembered and Rumple looked at her but she simply continued with a firm expression and tone,

"All my life as I grew up with those stories of you I used to think to myself…. 'I look up to that man. He made selfless choices. Yes sometimes it was for the wrong reasons but the road to hell is paved with good intentions'" she said firmly,

"For goodness sake the only time you've ever acted like a coward is right now Rumpy….. Look at ye self. Moping around 'oh boo hoo I've lost my magic' pull yourself together" she said firmly but Rumple couldn't bring himself to listen and he looked down sadly and Merida sighed and stood with frustration as she looked around the clearing before thinking and she spoke again,

"Ye know I think your son would be ashamed if he could see you now" she said firmly and Rumple looked at her with a firm expression,

"Don't speak of my son Dearie" he warned but Merida laughed to herself,

"But it's the truth…. You dishonour your son Rumpy… Maybe you're right. Maybe you are just a coward and right now I'm sure your son is looking down on you and seeing you for what you truly are… what you have always been and always will be" she said firmly and Rumple stood angrily and looked her straight in the eye,

"Don't speak about me or my son that way!" he growled and his fists clenched with anger but Merida simply glared back,

"You're useless. Pathetic and alone Rumpy so what are you going to do about it?" she asked and Rumple closed his eyes tightly,

"I SAID SHUT UP!" He roared and suddenly the camp fire's flames ignited once more and Merida smiled as Rumple looked at the flames stunned and she placed both her hands on his shoulders gently and he looked at her,

"Feel better now?" she asked softly and he looked between her and the flames,

"You?... You planned that… You…. Didn't…" he started and she smiled before nodding,

"I didn't mean any of those things I just said….. I just needed to reignite that spark inside of you Rumpy… You didn't need that stupid bloody dagger… You simply needed to believe in yourself. You've had magic inside of you all along. I guess ye just needed some help finding it" she said softly and Rumple smiled hesitantly before looking at his hands and he looked back at her,

"I can help" he said and Merida smiled and nodded,

"Yes ye can…. You're not the dark one Rumpy. I've always said that our fate lives within us and we only have to be brave enough to see it" she said kindly


End file.
